Journals of David Terru-Chapter 1

Vampires-are they real? Do they exist? I discovered at the tender age of 5 they did, and not by my choice. Forgive my lack of manners, Dr. David Matthews. I'm a Hematologist by trade and soulless vampire hunter by choice. You're probably thinking, "There's a difference?" or the obvious one, "an odd combination". I'm right there with you friend. But, while I'm packing to return to Texas, I'll tell you about my angel. No, not "guardian angel", although she has been. I'm talking about how she...wait, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me go back to the beginning; almost thirty years ago...

It was July 10, 1972. My Dad was a captain in the Marine Corps on his second tour of Vietnam. My mom, Dr. Carolyn Matthews, my grandmother Lanya Sartin and I were home in Abilene, Texas. Mom was working in the labs at Hendrick Medical Center as a Hematologist. Mom was a beautiful lady with dark hair, chocolate brown eyes and a beautiful smile. Grandma was attractive...for someone approaching a century and not looking like it. That night I was dressed in a plaid short-sleeve shirt with blue and tan in it with tan khaki shorts. I was just outside the kitchen door playing in a dirt pile.

Sometime after Mom got home, something in a dark cloak pounced on top of me! I screamed my little head off which brought both Mom and Grandma out the door in a hurry! Mom was still in her scrubs and grandma was wearing a pretty yellow sundress when they came across my predicament. I was being mauled by a vampire! Immediately, Mom dove on top of this creature and held her cross on its forehead. A horrific growl was uttered by this beast as Mom was dumped right by me. Next, Grandma threw a vial of water (didn't know it was Holy Water) into this vampire's eyes, which caused another monstrous growl. When Grandma's lovely green eyes saw the face of my attacker, she cursed the demon in Russian as my Mom and I heard the name...Dmitri Rasputin Sardovsky.

What happened next caught my attention, sort of. Another vampire swooped in and stood defiantly between us and this Sardovsky character. She was a vision in white with dark, raven hair and eyes of green fire! She had picked up the cross Mom had dropped and growled a warning.

"LEAVE THIS FAMILY ALONE AND NEVER RETURN!" Dmitri moved forward only to be burned again by the cross this vampire held to his cheek. After we heard his torturous wails, he flew off. The lady vampire dropped the cross near mom with her hand burned. She turned to face Grandma and she was recognized as Dominique Marie Dubois. Grandma smiled along with Dominique for they had known each other for a long time. Mom was still a little "helter-skelter" by all of this and stood between us and Dominique with her cross in front of, but not touching Dominique. "Carolyn, is David alright?"

"HE'S BARELY ALIVE; NO THANKS TO YOUR MASTER DOMINIQUE!" (A little side note: I wish Mom had told me we came from Gypsy blood before all of this nonsense happened!) Mom was always avoiding questions on family history, now I know why!
"KAYTA put away your cross; she's here to help us!" Mom put her cross down as Grandma kept me propped up so I wouldn't lose another drop of blood. "Madame, can you help David?" Understand something; I didn't know at the time what a vampire was or why I was so special to this particular vampire. But, something everyone forgot immediately, my mom was still in a state of pure hysteria!
"NO! I will not give her my son!" Mom struck Dominique, knocking her to the ground. Normally, a vampire would instantly get up and kill any human for this insult. However, Dominique bore no ill will and to my surprise, she began to cry.

"Please Carolyn, my heart is broken enough!" When Dominique spoke of her broken heart, she meant that delicate spirit dwelling inside of her that mourned for my dilemma. "I was supposed to prevent such a tragedy from occurring." I whimpered like Jimmy Wilkins' pet puppy. Both ladies agreed put aside any differences and decided what had to happen next. "I know that Father Devane, Lanya's priest, is ministering at a monastery south of town. He will know how to help your son and he will sense me and know something's wrong. If David dies, I'm at your mercy-will this be satisfactory?" Sometimes, my very smart mom can pull some of the dumbest stunts I've ever seen. But it didn't mean she never listened when good, solid counsel was given.

"Mom-get the car, we're going to the monastery. I'm going to trust you Dominique, but if David dies, I'll roast you alive!"
"Done, what do you wish me to do?"
"Please hold David while I drive us?" Dominique cuddled me and she sang softly to me in a language I never heard before. I looked up into her eyes and saw a calm, pretty face and ruby lips dark as cherries. I never felt threatened by her. I took a risk and reached up to touch her face. I'm not sure if it was a loss of blood or the pain of that bite, but my arm dropped like a redwood. I was in and out of consciousness trying to conserve my energy.

"Are...you an...angel?" I had no idea if I was talking to a guardian angel or a vampire. It's easy for a child of 5 to confuse the two! Dominique smiled at my curious question. One of these days, I'll have to ask her thoughts about my inquiry.
"For you my love, I am at this moment. Your grandfather asked me over sixty years ago to watch over his family...including you!"
"Mommy told me he died when she was a baby."
"Yes David...your grandfather died at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. We...all miss him very much. But he would want you to stand tall and be brave, because he was a Sartin Gypsy." I remember Grandma always telling me stories of gypsies, but I thought she told those stories to make me behave.

"What's...a Sartin Gypsy?" Mom had run from her heritage for so long, she had forgotten the Sartin Gypsies even existed.
"Babushka, you remember the stories I used to tell you about your grandfather training vampire hunters?" I nodded to her because I did remember some of those tales. "Well-these vampire hunters your grandfather trained with were the Sartin Gypsies. Many of the gypsies lived as Terru; the fiercest of all vampire hunters!" I had heard this term...Terru before, but didn't understand it. "David, Terru resemble vampires, except they have a different eye color and they can exist during the daylight hours!" A vampire hunter who resembled its enemy...just perfect!

We arrived at the monastery and Father Arthur came out wearing his brown robes and took me in his arms. He placed me on the dais and poured holy water on my bites. I screamed like a prairie dog it hurt so much! I was given communion, holy water and asked to lie down in one of the pews. An hour later, I got up and told them I felt better. But Mom had the same horrid look from earlier in the night. Dominique embraced me and explained what happened.

"David, you've become...a Terru. Mommy was...surprised by your eyes!" I felt my fangs without touching them, but suddenly Dominique backed away. Father Arthur came over after seeing my nostrils move up and down rapidly.
"David, your angel Dominique...is a vampire!" I growled and hissed at this discovery. I had been cuddled by one of these killers, talk about...icky! "David, calm down; Dominique is a good vampire because she desires your protection, not harm." I calmed down and he told me I smelled her blood and it was like a candy bar to my nose. Then, Mom went off her rocker again.

"Then why did she lie to him?" Mom picked up a wooden stake and planned to drive it into Dominique's heart. To her surprise, I stood between her and Dominique. When I announced I would kill her instead, she stood in total shock! Everyone backed away as I walked up to Dominique.
"Who bit you?" Dominique explained it was Sardovsky that bit her and he was also her master.
"What will you do now my prince: will you drain me of my blood or allow me to live?" I was relieved when Mom spoke next.
"Baby, I believe your chances of growing up are doubled provided you let her live." I gave her a drop of my blood and she gave me the same. And thus a bond was formed.

Later, I wrote a poem depicting this "Angel" named Dominique. Well-time for me to leave; to go home and see my folks; then go to Dallas to reunite with my Angel!